Paula Martin

Boston University | BU · Department of Neurology

Background: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, diagnosed postmortem (hyperphosphorylated tau), is preceded by traumatic encephalopathy syndrome with worsening cognition and behavior/mood disturbances, over years. Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) may promote improvements by increasing ATP in compromised/stressed cells and increasing local bloo...

Supplementary Figure 2. Coronal views, Cavum Septum Pellucidum present in two of the three Ex-Football Players, P1, P4. GUID: 473281E4-8B22-4DF5-98C8-8BA9FE67C8F1

Supplementary Materials 003

Introduction: Approximately 25–30% of veterans deployed to Kuwait, 1990-91, report persistent multi-symptom Gulf War Illness (GWI) likely from neurotoxicant exposures. Photobiomodulation (PBM) in red/near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths is a safe, non-invasive modality shown to help repair hypoxic/stressed cells. Red/NIR wavelengths are absorbed by cyto...

The physiologic effect of continuous theta‐burst stimulation (cTBS) in language network has been reported, although it has the clinical benefit of longer‐lasting inhibitory effects with shorter stimulation time. We report 50‐year‐old aphasia patient showed increased activation of the left Broca's area by cTBS for 3 days on contralateral Broca's hom...

The physiologic effect of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) in language network has been reported, although it has the clinical benefit of longer‐lasting inhibitory effects with shorter stimulation time. We report 50‐years old aphasia patient showed increased activation of the left Broca’s area by cTBS for 3 days on contralateral Broca’s ho...

Objective: To examine effects of four different transcranial, red/near-infrared (NIR), light-emitting diode (tLED) protocols on naming ability in persons with aphasia (PWA) due to left hemisphere (LH) stroke. This is the first study to report beneficial effects from tLED therapy in chronic stroke, and parallel changes on functional magnetic resonan...

Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy is a safe, painless, noninvasive, nonthermal modality that uses red, and/or near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths [600–1100nm] to stimulate, heal, and repair damaged cells. PBM with red/NIR photons promotes increased ATP production by activating the mitochondria in hypoxic / compromised cells. Increased vasodilation occur...

Transcranial photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy can treat a range of brain disorders including traumatic brain injury (TBI), poststroke aphasia, primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) within retired, professional football players. Chronic TBI patients with closed-head injury and cognitive dysfunction received 18...

LED therapy improves functional connectivity and cognition in professional football player with TBI: Case study. Abstract Objective: To evaluate effect of noninvasive transcranial red/near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diode (LED) treatment on cognition and mood in chronic TBI, using neuroimaging and neuropsychological measures. Design: Case stud...

Objective: To evaluate effect of noninvasive, transcranial plus intranasal red/near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diode (LED) intervention, on cognition and sleep in veterans with chronic, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Design: Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot trial. Setting: Outpatient clinical research unit. Participants...

Objective: We review the general topic of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and our research utilizing transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) to improve cognition in chronic TBI using red/near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to deliver light to the head. tPBM improves mitochondrial function increasing oxygen consumption, production of adenos...

Low Level Laser (Light) Therapy (LLLT) has been suggested as an effective treatment for a range of brain traumas and diseases. Though the exact mechanism is still being studied, research has shown that red and near-infrared (NIR) light is able to penetrate the skull, and trigger reactions that elevate mitochondrial ATP production. Transcranial LLLT...

This invited paper reviews our research with scalp application of red/near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diodes (LED) to improve cognition in chronic, traumatic brain injury 1. Application of red/NIR light improves mitochondrial function (especially hypoxic/compromised cells) promoting increased ATP, important for cellular metabolism. Nitric oxide...

Objectives: To probe the effect of noninvasive transcranial red/near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diode (LED) treatment on sleep and cognitive function in patients with chronic moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: case study. Participants: two patients (1 female) with moderate TBI and persistent cognitive dysfunction (at least 2 SD below...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate: 1) the feasibilty of administering a modified CILT (mCILT) treatment session immediately after TMS; and 2) if this combined therapy could improve naming and elicited propositional speech in chronic, nonfluent aphasia. Methods: Two chronic stroke patients with nonfluent aphasia (mild-moderate...

This pilot, open-protocol study examined whether scalp application of red and near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diodes (LED) could improve cognition in patients with chronic, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Application of red/NIR light improves mitochondrial function (especially in hypoxic/compromised cells) promoting increased ATP important f...

IntroductionPart 1: Functional Imaging Studies with Aphasia PatientsPart 2: Rationale for Use of rTMS with Nonfluent AphasiaPart 3: Pilot Study: rTMS Plus Constraint-Induced Language Therapy (CILT)Part 4: Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) Study of Arcuate Fasciculus Connections to Parts of Broca's AreaConclusion References

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been reported to improve naming in chronic stroke patients with nonfluent aphasia since 2005. In part 1, we review the rationale for applying slow, 1-Hz, rTMS to the undamaged right hemisphere in chronic nonfluent aphasia patients after a left hemisphere stroke; and we present a transcranial m...

This study sought to discover if an optimum 1 cm(2) area in the non-damaged right hemisphere (RH) was present, which could temporarily improve naming in chronic, nonfluent aphasia patients when suppressed with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Ten minutes of slow, 1Hz rTMS was applied to suppress different RH ROIs in eight aphasi...

The arcuate fasciculus (AF) is a white matter pathway traditionally considered to connect left Broca's area with posterior language zones. We utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in eight healthy subjects (5 M) to track pathways in the horizontal mid-portion of the AF (hAF) to subregions of Broca's area - pars triangularis (PTr) and pars opercul...

This review of our research with rTMS to treat aphasia contains four parts: Part 1 reviews functional brain imaging studies related to recovery of language in aphasia with emphasis on nonfluent aphasia. Part 2 presents the rationale for using rTMS to treat nonfluent aphasia patients (based on results from functional imaging studies). Part 2 also re...

To present pretreatment and post-treatment language data for a nonfluent aphasia patient who received 2 treatment modalities: (1) continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for his sleep apnea, starting 1-year poststroke; and (2) repetitive transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (TMS), starting 2 years poststroke. Language data were acquired beyon...

Although evidence suggests that patients with left hemisphere strokes and non-fluent aphasia who receive 1Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the intact right inferior frontal gyrus experience persistent benefits in naming, it remains unclear whether the effects of rTMS in these patients generalize to other language abilitie...

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been used to improve language behavior, including naming, in stroke patients with chronic, nonfluent aphasia. Part 1 of this article reviews functional imaging studies related to language recovery in aphasia. Part 2 reviews the rationale for using rTMS to treat nonfluent aphasia (based on func...

Two chronic, nonfluent aphasia patients participated in overt naming fMRI scans, pre- and post-a series of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatments as part of a TMS study to improve naming. Each patient received 10, 1-Hz rTMS treatments to suppress a part of R pars triangularis. P1 was a 'good responder' with improved naming a...

The purpose of this study was to develop a functional MRI method to examine overt speech in stroke patients with aphasia. An fMRI block design for overt picture naming was utilized which took advantage of the hemodynamic response delay where increased blood flow remains for 4-8 s after the task [(Friston, K.J., Jezzard, P., Turner, R., 1994. Analys...

We report improved ability to name pictures at 2 and 8 months after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatments to the pars triangularis portion of right Broca's homologue in a 57 year-old woman with severe nonfluent/global aphasia (6.5 years post left basal ganglia bleed, subcortical lesion). TMS was applied at 1 Hz, 20 minutes...

Functional imaging studies with nonfluent aphasia patients have observed "over-activation" in right (R) language homologues. This may represent a maladaptive strategy; suppression may result in language improvement. We applied slow, 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to an anterior portion of R Broca's homologue daily, for 10...

Functional brain imaging with nonfluent aphasia patients has shown increased cortical activation (perhaps "overactivation") in right (R) hemisphere language homologues. These areas of overactivation may represent a maladaptive strategy that interferes with, rather than promotes, aphasia recovery. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)...

This study examined activation levels in the left (L) supplementary motor area (SMA) and the right (R) SMA (separately), and activation in nine R perisylvian language homologues during overt, propositional speech in chronic nonfluent aphasia patients. Previous functional imaging studies with a variety of chronic aphasia patients have reported activ...

Cortical reorganization in poststroke aphasia is not well understood. Few studies have investigated neural mechanisms underlying language recovery in severe aphasia patients, who are typically viewed as having a poor prognosis for language recovery. Although test-retest reliability is routinely demonstrated during collection of language data in sin...